Roper names CEO for Mt. P. site

Former hospital leader to start May 1

Roper St. Francis Healthcare said Monday it has named John Sullivan chief executive officer for its new Mount Pleasant Hospital.

Sullivan served as senior vice president since 1995 for Charlotte-based Carolinas HealthCare System, one of the three founding members of Roper St. Francis Healthcare.

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View a virtual 3-D rendering of the Mount Pleasant Hospital which is being built by Roper St. Francis. Construction is expected to begin on the $143 million facility in late spring. Watch »

The announcement comes nine months after Roper St. Francis tapped Pearce W. Fleming Jr., former CEO of Summerville Medical Center, to take the helm of the yet-to-be-built 85-bed hospital. The arrangement with Fleming fell apart less than a month after the sides failed to agree on employment terms.

Sullivan will work with architects and the construction management firm, and will oversee zoning and regulatory issues. He also will be responsible for meeting with internal staff and recruiting physicians for the Medical Office Building, set to open in 18 months.

David Dunlap, president and CEO of Roper St. Francis, said, "John will serve as the face of the new hospital, and he plays a vital role in the leadership of building and opening this new hospital and new medical office building."

Sullivan previously served as interim CEO for Roper Hospital in downtown

Charleston from January 2003 to April 2004, when construction began on the hospital's heart and vascular tower.

"I'm looking forward to coming back to the Charleston area and getting under way with construction this year as we prepare for the November 2010 opening," said Sullivan, who will assume the post May 1.

Construction is expected to begin on the $143 million facility in late spring. The hospital will be at Highway 17 and Faison Road, near Wando High School, in northern Mount Pleasant.

Another hospital is slated to open in Mount Pleasant, in 2009, when Tenet Healthcare plans to open its replacement facility for East Cooper Regional Medical Center.

Sullivan began his career in health care in 1971 as an assistant administrator at Eastern State Hospital in Lexington, Ky.

Prior to joining Carolinas HealthCare System, he served for seven years as president of Stanly Regional Medical Center in Albemarle, N.C., and as CEO for three Hospital Corporation of America facilities.

Reach Jill Coley at 937-5719 or jcoley@postandcourier.com.